


Holding on

by Sweetcrusher



Category: The Worst Witch (TV 2017), The Worst Witch - All Media Types
Genre: Anxiety, F/F, Fluff and Hurt/Comfort, Mental Health Issues, Pre-Relationship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-20
Updated: 2018-11-20
Packaged: 2019-08-26 12:36:35
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 822
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16681744
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sweetcrusher/pseuds/Sweetcrusher
Summary: Hecate is having spikes of anxiety, a problem she has experienced before and always dealt with on her own. She is trying to deal with it herself because the students are preparing for their exams, but Ada notices and does her best to support HecateFirst fic, just a short thing. please be gentle





	Holding on

Blinking her eyes against the weak sunlight filtering into her room through a gap in the curtains, Hecate sighed. She felt heavy against her mattress, her joints aching and her eyes stinging as she wondered when she had finally drifted off. She disentangled herself from her usually immaculate bedspread, which had shifted with her agitated tossing and turning. She slowly stood up, noticing the soothing coolness of the wooden floor under her feet.

Hecate looked around her rooms. A stack of potions journals and marking, and a half-full, cold cup of tea on the low side table next to her sofa the only clues of a night spent distracting herself from moments of desperate gasping for breath, clammy tightness and racing heartbeat that were visiting her with increasing frequency. She had experienced anxiety at various times of her life, starting during her school days and increasing under the strict tutelage of Miss Broomhead at training college. Since then she had learnt to manage it herself. Hecate, on the whole, kept it at bay by maintaining a strict routine of teaching, her own research, and attempting to keep order among the girls at Cackles Academy. She kept to herself when it was particularly bad, teaching her classes but retiring to her rooms early, or walking through her beloved gardens. She found the bustle of the castle surprisingly reassuring, as life carried on until she was ready to re-join it. Despite her fine-tuned strategies, she had sensed her control slipping recently, with increasing uneasiness building over the past week, culminating in a day and a night of riding out the waves and sharp spikes of anxiety.

Exhausted, Hecate delayed her usual efficient, magically assisted morning routine and opened her curtains the rest of the way, feeling grounded by the touch of the heavy, dark brocade fabric under her fingers. She picked up her hairbrush and set to work making herself presentable, hiding the signs of her sleepless night. When her hair was in a tight bun, she peered into the mirror at her dull, shadowed eyes. She opened the drawer in the vanity below her mirror and her fingers brushed over a small bottle of Wide Awake Potion. Lifting it up to the light Hecate considered whether it would help to take a dose. As much as it would help her get through the day, she knew that it would only increase the symptoms of her anxiety, and she tucked it back into the drawer. Finally ready to draw on her magic, Hecate applied her usual makeup with a twitch of her fingers, and with a wave she was dressed in a form-fitting, black lace dress with a texture that was as calming underneath her hands as the brocade of the curtains. She picked up her treasured timepiece, a gift from Ada, and slipped it around without magic. Her hands naturally fell to hold it, and she felt like herself again.

Hecate decided to walk to breakfast, taking in the atmosphere of the castle. Exams were still a few weeks away, so while the girls were settling into the business end of the year, they were still relaxed enough to be chattering happily in groups in the hallways, straightening and continuing towards the dining hall as Hecate shot them stern looks as she went. She felt herself relax, the tension leaving her shoulders as she walked along with them, relishing in the normality of the Cackles routine.

Reaching the dining hall, Hecate faltered as she took in the usual chaos of students greeting their friends and finding their seats. Everything was too loud suddenly, and she transferred herself to the head table rather than make her way through the crowd.

As Hecate took her place at the head table, she felt the calming presence of her headmistress at her side. Ada smiled brightly and pressed a waiting cup of tea into Hecate’s hands.

“Good morning, Hecate. Is everything alright?” Ada murmured, leaning towards her. Hecate looked up to see Ada’s smile had faded to a look of concern, as she examined Hecate over her glasses. “Did you sleep well?”

Hecate smiled weakly in return. She might have known Ada would notice something, over the years she has become attuned to Hecate’s needs as much as her own. She slowly took a sip, closing her eyes as she recognised her favourite liquorice infused black tea, wondering when Ada had acquired it. “I’ll be fine, Ada.”

Hecate reached for a plate of toast, deciding she could probably manage a piece. After she had buttered it with a snap of her fingers, still feeling a little shaky, Ada’s hand found hers, tangling their fingers below the table. Rubbing calming circles on Hecate’s palm, Ada murmured once more, “I’m glad to hear it. Would you come for tea this afternoon?”

Hecate squeezed Ada’s hand and nodded. Ada couldn’t fix this, but she didn’t have to do this alone.


End file.
